Chapter 1186

"The Queen of Stygia delivered me… you brought me into Acheron… Aglaea invited me to join the Journey of Fire… if there were no death in the world, none of these stories would have happened."

We need to keep quotes and punctuation. Translate meaning.

"Stikokisia queen acted as my midwife… you took me into Ai Diliya… Aglaea invited me to join the Fire Pursuit Journey… if there were no death in the world, none of these stories would have happened."

We need to keep the ellipsis as …? Use three dots? We'll keep as "…". The line includes Chinese quotes 「」 and inner 「」? Actually the line starts with 「「... 」」? It has double quotes? We'll keep outer 「」 as is? We need to translate content but keep the quotation marks? The instruction: translate faithfully, not add or omit. The source includes 「」 marks. Should we keep them? Probably we should keep them as they are part of the text. But we need to output English translation; we can replace Chinese quotation marks with English quotes? The instruction says translate faithfully, not add or omit. It doesn't say to keep the Chinese punctuation. Usually we translate the content and use appropriate English punctuation. The Chinese 「」 are quotation marks; we can replace with English double quotes. But we must not add or omit meaning. Changing quotation marks is acceptable as translation. We'll output using English double quotes.

Thus line 【1】 translation: ""Stikokisia queen acted as my midwife… you took me into Ai Diliya… Aglaea invited me to join the Fire Pursuit Journey… if there were no death in the world, none of these stories would have happened.""

But we need to keep the outer quotes? We'll just output the sentence with English double quotes at start and end.

Let's produce: ""Stikokisia queen acted as my midwife… you took me into Ai Diliya… Aglaea invited me to join the Fire Pursuit Journey… if there were no death in the world, none of these stories would have happened.""

But we need to keep the ellipsis as three dots or the Unicode …? We'll use three dots.

"And I… naturally never lived, let alone knew happiness."

Translation: ""And I… have never truly lived, let alone known happiness.""

"While I… naturally have never lived, let alone been happy."

Xian Die stepped forward and tightly embraced Amonnet in her arms.

Translation: "Xiadie stepped forward and tightly embraced Amonnet in her arms."

"Thank you, my mother… I will use all the 'love' of this long life to accomplish the final miracle."

Translation: ""Thank you, my mother…… I will complete the final miracle with all the 'love' of my long life.""

Note that the Chinese quotation marks around the word for love become single quotes; we'll keep them as single quotes.

Xian Die slowly walked to the center of the alchemy circle, knelt on both knees, and raised high the blood‑red Philosopher's Stone in her hand.

Translation: "Xiadie slowly walked to the center of the alchemy array, knelt on both knees, and raised high the blood‑bright philosopher's stone in her hand."

"My master Anathoth‑Sargeras, grant me the wisdom of the One of All Things. I call upon you here…"

Translation: ""My master Anakesagoras, you have granted me the wisdom of the universal one. I now call upon you……""

The Philosopher's Stone began to melt in her palm; scarlet liquid started to drip through Xian Die's fingertips, the silent alchemy circle as if a riverbed dried for millennia greedily drank this living "offering". As the liquid seeped in, the totems around the circle lit up one by one, radiating brilliant light.

Translation: "The philosopher's stone began to melt in her palm, scarlet liquid dripping through Xiadie's fingers; the dormant alchemy array, like a riverbed dried for thousands of years, greedily sucked up this lively "offering," and as the liquid seeped in, the totems around the array lit up one by one, radiating brilliant light."

"The shed corpse of the dead dragon—rising from earth to heaven, descending from heaven to earth. Below as above, above as below…"

Translation: ""The stripped corpse of the dead dragon—rising from earth to heaven, descending from heaven to earth. Below as above, above as below……""

The River of Styx began to respond to this sacrifice.

Translation: "Stikokisia's Nether River began to respond to this sacrifice."

Accompanied by violent tremors of the underworld's water, countless water columns shot skyward, forming water‑spouts that linked heaven and earth, racing to sweep over the alchemy tower's attic.

Translation: "Accompanied by violent tremors of the Nether River's water, countless water columns shot up, forming water‑spouts that connected heaven and earth, rushing in a scramble to sweep over the alchemy array's loft."

In the water, a huge pale‑white object slowly rose—a bone‑like eggshell, hovering like a moon above.

Translation: "In the water, a huge object faintly rose—a pallid, bone‑white eggshell, hovering like a full moon."

As the eggshell cracked with a "pop", a pair of sky‑covering bone wings burst from the shell's seams; dark red flesh began to grow from the bone's base, the still‑forming membrane stretched between the wings like two divided night veils, completely swallowing the attic's thin light.

Translation: "With a crack‑pop, the eggshell shattered, and a pair of sky‑covering bone wings burst open from the shell's seams; dark‑red flesh began to grow from the bone bases, an unformed membrane spreading between the wings like two split night curtains, completely swallowing the loft's already thin light."

A pair of dragon claws broke out of the shell, clutching its edge—the dragon's neck twisted oddly, it did not lift its head but kept it lowered, limp like a broken vine bending to one side, burying its skull deep in the shattered shell, only revealing a pale ridge of bone beneath the skin.

Translation: "A pair of dragon claws broke through the shell, clutching its edges——the dragon's neck twisted oddly, it did not lift but kept drooping, limp like a broken vine bending to one side, burying its skull deep in the shattered shell, only revealing the jagged protrusions beneath its pale skin."

"This is the power of all forces, crushing resistance and breaking the firm."

Translation: ""This is the power of myriad forces, shattering toughness and extracting firmness.""

Xian Die raised her scythe and slashed down at the surging water curtain before her, parting the River of Styx and carving a path to the dragon.

Translation: "Xiadie brandished a sickle, slashing down at the surging water curtain before her, parting the Nether River's water and carving a road to the dragon."

"I, the great work that governs all death, shall grant you an embrace!"

Translation: ""O great work that commands all death, I shall grant you an embrace!""

——

Translation: "——" (just the em dash line). We'll output "——".

Dragonkind.

Translation: "Dragon Clan."

"This is… a dragon?!"

Translation: ""This…… is a dragon?!""

After downing a glass of champagne, Caesar coughed violently, his face flushing crimson.

Translation: "Having just finished a glass of champagne, Kaisa burst into violent coughing, his face instantly flushing crimson."

He had never seen such a dragon—more precisely, he had never imagined a dragon could look like this.

Translation: "He had never seen such a dragon—more precisely, he had never imagined that a dragon could grow into this form."

The Gatuso family is an Italian line of dragon slayers; Caesar grew up surrounded by pictures and news about dragons. Even in school, in dragon lineage classes and history lessons… he had never seen such a "strange" dragon.

Translation: "The Jiatusuo family is an Italian dragon‑slaying lineage; Kaisa had seen plenty of pictures and news about dragons as a child. Even in school, in dragon genealogy and history classes…… he had never seen such a "queer" dragon."

Its neck was extraordinarily long, the cervical vertebrae twisted like a misaligned string of beads; he could not see its head and did not know why it buried its skull in the eggshell. It lacked the dignity of ordinary dragons; instead… its limbs were remarkably thin, like a dragon skeleton forced open and barely wrapped in a ruffled skin.

Translation: "Its neck was extraordinarily long, the cervical vertebrae twisted like a misaligned string of beads; he couldn't see its head and didn't know why the dragon buried its head in the eggshell. It lacked the dignity of ordinary dragons—on the contrary…… its limbs were remarkably thin, like a stretched dragon skeleton barely wrapped in a pleated skin."

"It should be the result of alchemy; this is not the dragon's true form in life." Chu Zihang carefully observed the monster's body, "Besides, the chant Xian Die just recited contains part of the Emerald Tablet."

Translation: ""It must be the alchemy's doing—this is not the dragon's full living form." Chu Zihang seriously observed the monster dragon's body, adding, "Besides, the passage Xiadie just chanted contains part of the Emerald Tablet.""

"Huh? Which line?" Caesar blinked.

Translation: ""Huh? Which line?" Kaisa froze."

The Emerald Tablet is an ancient work from circa 1900 BC, inscribed on emerald slabs and discovered in a hidden chamber beneath a pyramid. It is regarded as the origin of alchemy; its author claims to be the thrice‑great Hermes of Egyptian myth, consisting of only thirteen lines yet containing all the truths of alchemy.

Translation: "The Emerald Tablet is an ancient book from 1900 BC, inscribed on emerald slabs and discovered in a chamber beneath a pyramid. It is regarded as the origin of alchemy; its author claims to be the triune Hermes of Egyptian mythology, and though it contains only thirteen lines, it holds all the truths of alchemy."

"As above, so below; as below, so above." Caesar said, "The wording differs only minutely, but the meaning is the same. I suspect it may be a translation issue between two worlds."

Translation: ""From earth to heaven, from heaven to earth. Below as above, above as below." Kaisa said, "The wording differs only minutely, but the meaning is the same. I suspect a translation issue between the two worlds.""

"You mean…"

Translation: ""You mean……""

"If that's correct, the alchemy of Opharus is closely related to the dragon texts left on our Earth." Chu Zihang said, "Medieval scholars of the Emerald Tablet once thought it a work falsely attributed to a divine name, but the author 'approaches infinitely close to God'. However, if the alchemical original of the Emerald Tablet appears in Opharus, it would mean the knowledge originally came from the cosmos about four thousand years ago. Combined with Opharus's distinctly Greek‑style architecture and civilization…"

Translation: ""If that's correct, the alchemy of Wolukesi is closely related to the draconic texts left on our Earth." Chu Zihang said, "Among medieval researchers of the Emerald Tablet, some once thought it a work falsely attributing a divine name, yet the author 'infinitely approaches divinity.' But if the original alchemical text of the Emerald Tablet appears in Wolukesi, it would mean it was originally transmitted from the cosmos about four thousand years ago. Combined with Wolukesi's distinctly Greek‑style architecture and civilization……"

"The source of dragon alchemy is Opharus." No further explanation needed; Caesar already grasped it, "The transmitters even brought Opharus's civilization and myth, planting it in Europe to take root and sprout. No wonder Aglaea's name matches the goddess of myth exactly… following the timeline, about four thousand ago, roughly the previous cycle on Opharus… no, perhaps it was this very golden age that passed it on."

Translation: ""The dragons' alchemy originates in Wolukesi." No further words needed—Kaisa already understood, "The carriers even brought Wolukesi's civilization and myth to Europe, where they took root. No wonder Aglaea's name matches the goddess exactly…… Following the timeline, four thousand years ago roughly corresponds to Wolukesi's previous reincarnation… no, perhaps it was transmitted during this present Golden Age.""

Caesar continued his speculation: "Earth's dragons, the black dragon Nidhogg, are likely a branch of the original immortal dragon‑kin. You ask whether it's possible that another faction secretly came to Opharus, leaving alchemy behind there?"

Translation: "Kaisa continued speculating: "Earth's dragons, the Black Dragon Nidhogg is now thought to be one branch of the original immortal dragon lineage. You say, could there also have been a faction that secretly came to Wolukesi, leaving alchemy behind there?""

"Quite possible." Chu Zihang nodded, "The black dragon Nidhogg brought alchemy to Earth; its second creation was the Four Sovereigns, each ruling water, fire, earth, and wind, all twin‑born on thrones, each flawed, only able to wield full power by devouring. Now it seems Xian Die and her sister share similar traits; perhaps they too conceal a creator akin to Nidhogg, a member of the immortal dragon‑kin."

Translation: ""Quite possible." Chu Zihang nodded, "The Black Dragon Nidhogg brought alchemy to Earth; its second creation was the Four Great Lords, each ruling over earth, water, fire, and wind, all twins on the throne, each flawed, and only through devouring can one grasp full power. Looking now, Xiadie and her sister share similar traits; perhaps hidden within them is a creator akin to Nidhogg, a member of the immortal dragon lineage.""

"If our assumptions are correct, then the third fate entwining Opharus can finally emerge from the mist…" Caesar's face glowed with excitement, like a student who finally passed an exam rewarding himself, he poured another glass of champagne and drank it down in one gulp.

Translation: ""Well… if our hypotheses are correct, then the Third Fate entwining Wolukesi can finally be unveiled from the mist……" Kaisa's face flushed with excitement, he rewarded himself like a student who finally passed an exam, poured another glass of champagne, and downed it in one gulp."

"That is—【Immortal】!"

Translation: ""That is——【Immortal】!""

——

Translation: "——"

Most of Pluto's body is submerged in the River of Styx; beneath the dark water, huge tentacles seem to lurk, casting massive shadows beneath the surface.

Translation: "Bolukesi's large half‑body was submerged in the Nether River; beneath the dim surface lurked what seemed like huge tentacles, casting massive shadows beneath the water."

Strangely, even when facing the enemy head‑on, it never lifts its head from the shell, like a light‑shy hatchling refusing to leave its mother's embrace.

Translation: "Strangely, even when facing the enemy head‑on, it still refused to lift its head from the shell, like a light‑shy hatchling unwilling to leave its mother's embrace."

—if we ignore its sky‑covering pair of wings.

Translation: "——if one ignores its pair of sky‑covering wings."

"The girl who once saved me… have you really vanished completely?" Xiaodie whispered to the distant dragon, "Or perhaps, once the regret is gone… will she be able to appear again?"